In Yoga Journal, March 2012, Tiffany Cruikshank's "If You Love Sports" article offers the following yoga poses to help heel pain sufferers. Let us know if they help. Heel Pain is a specialty of ours, for more information on how we can help with heel pain go to www.HeelPainCenterQuincy.com

The Injury: One of the most common sports injuries to the foot is the inflammation of the plantar fascia, a band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes and runs along the sole of the foot. Stress from repetitive foot strikes as well as tightness in the Achilles tendon, ankle, and calf muscles can create too much tension in the plantar fascia, resulting in microtears and inflammation. Left untreated, plantar fasciitis can cause bone spurs in the heel and contribute to knee, hip, and back pain. Common In: Runners and those who do sports - such as soccer, football, golf, tennis, and volleyball - that involve running or jumping. Symptoms: Pain on the heel or the sole of the foot that is typically worse when you first get out of bed in the morning. Poses for Prevention and Healing: The poses below stretch the tissues on the back of the leg and the sole of the foot to reduce tension in the plantar fascia. Do these poses daily or every other day if you are recovering or are on the verge of an injury, and once a week or more for prevention.

Sole Stretch: Targets the muscles and connective tissue on the sole of the foot while stretching the deep layer of calf muscles that moves the toes and supports the arch of the foot. How to: Come onto your hands and knees and tuck your toes under. slowly lean the weight of your hips back and sit on your heels. To start, keep your hands on the floor in front of you and keep some of your weight on your hands as you sit back. As the pose becomes comfortable, you can progress to sitting upright with all of your weight on your heels, palms in your lap. This might be an intense stretch, but you should not feel pain. Hold for 30 to 90 seconds as you breathe easily.

Reclining Hand-To-Big-Toe Pose: Stretches the hamstrings and the entire line of tissue that runs along the back of the hip, thigh, and calf, which tugs on the sole of the foot when it gets tight. How to: Lie on your back, put a strap around the ball of the right foot and extend your right leg up. Keep your head and shoulders on the floor and grab the strap with both hands. (To make this pose easier, bend your left leg and place the sole of the foot on the ground.) You can bend the right knee if you need to but keep your thigh close to your belly as you lightly push into the strap with the ball of your right foot. Hold for 1 to 2 mintes and repeat on the other side.

Eye-Of-The-Needle Pose (Sucirandhrasana): Relieves the tight hips that are comon in athletes who do a lot of running, limiting the movement of the leg muscles, putting more stress on the back of the leg, and increasing tension in the plantar fascia. How to: Lie on the floor with both feet on the wall and your knees bent. Place the right ankle on the left knee and flex the right foot. With your right hand, gently push the right thigh, just above the knee, away from your head. Keep your hips, spine, and head on the floor and relax your neck. You can make this harder by moving closer to the wall or easier by moving farther away. To get an even deeper stretch, clasp your hands behind your left hamstring and hug it in toward your torso, with your head still on the ground. Hold for 1 to 2 minutes and repeat on the other side.

Foot Care Specialists, PC has been the source for the best quality orthotics in New England for over 30 years.

Orthotics are prescribed to patients for a variety of reasons: leg length differences, abnormal foot function, need for extra control during athletic performance, to maximize shock absorption for the patient who may have lost the normal fat-pad cushioning of the foot or to relieve pain or prevent the return of painful foot symptoms. Whatever the reason, we have the right orthotic to fix the problem whether it's a rigid, semi-rigid or soft/flexible orthotic, custom highly accurate orthotics are our specialty. We use computer gait analysis to determine the foot strengths, weaknesses and abnormalities while walking and combine that information with clinical information gained during the patient consultation. In addition, impressions of the feet are made by setting both feet in the correct biomechanical position in a foam tray to create a mold. All of this information then goes to our lab where the orthotics are made. We guarantee our orthotics. They are the best! 

Call for your appointment today 855-FIT FEET (855-348-3338) 

The combination of sweat and heat inside your shoes makes for a perfect breeding ground for the bacteria and fungi that cause toenail fungus, athlete's foot and foul odor. The innovative  UV Shoe Sanitizer kills germs that reside inside shoes with special germicidal ultraviolet light. With the first treatment , the shoe sanitizer destroys 99.9% of the microorganisms in shoes , including the bacteria and fungi that cause toenail fungus(onychomycosis), athlete's foot ( tinea pedis) and offensive odors. This sanitizer is also an excellent choice for those with diabetes or generally concerned about there feet's hygiene. The UV Shoe Sanitizer is available for purchase at our offices. Call toll free 855-FIT-FEET for more information or to book your appointment today. More information is available on our website www.LaserNailCenterQuincy.com

Laser Nail Center Quincy is pleased to announce Charles S. Lipson, M.D. has joined our practice. Dr. Lipson brings a wealth of medical experience to our practice. A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Lipson has enjoyed a long career as a General Surgeon specializing in trauma, emergency medicine and critical care. As the newest member of our Laser Center, Dr. Lipson will be offering our laser nail treatment to patients suffering from FINGERNAIL FUNGUS. Many of our patients suffer from unsightly fingernail fungus in addition to toenail fungus. Until now, as strictly a podiatry practice, we have not been able to treat hands. We are thrilled and so are they! We look forward to expanding our Laser Center further as we continue to bring medical specialists into our practice offering a variety of treatments to our patients.  

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Visit our website www.LaserNailCenterBoston.com for more information today.